Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin – A Historical Gem of a Venue

Smock Alley Theatre had us smitten the first time we came across it. Described by many as Dublin’s oldest, newest theatre as it’s recently been restored to its former glory and what an exquisite venue it will make for your wedding.

The restored 17th-century Smock Alley Theatre has to be experienced to be understood. Originally opened in 1662 as part of the Restoration of the British monarchy, it was the first custom-built theatre in Dublin and still remains in substantially the same form, making it one of the most important sites in European theatre history.

Steeped in such drama, just imagine yourselves enjoying a candle lit wedding breakfast in the atmospheric stained-glass-windowed banquet hall, feasting on fresh fish, local cheeses and decadent desserts, washed down with excellent wines. What a way to wow your guests!

For more details of how you can hold both your ceremony and follow on celebrations at Smock Alley, we’ll pass you straight over to the experienced team to tell you more.

Tell us about your venue

The restored 17th-century Smock Alley Theatre has to be experienced to be understood and is the perfect place to celebrate your wedding. The stained-glass-windowed Banquet Hall is a spacious and ornate place along the banks of the Liffey.

The acoustics for music here are unparalleled and it’s fully licensed too, so you and your guests can wed and celebrate until 11pm. Dine on a candlelit banquet (think fresh fish, local cheeses and decadent desserts) with excellent wines. Plus, the cobblestones of Cow’s Lane make for quite the photo backdrop.

Do you offer civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies?

Yes

Do couples & their wedding party have exclusive use of your venue?

No. We are a working theatre so we cannot guarantee exclusive access to the venue for any wedding.

Venue capacity – How many guests can attend the day ceremony, if applicable, wedding breakfast & the evening reception?

Max capacity for a wedding ceremony is up to 150 guests. Capacity for a wedding reception is 120 max.

Tell us just a little about any wedding packages you offer

All of our packages are created in careful consultation with our couples. Each couple is different and therefore all of our weddings are tailored to their requirements.

Do you have in-house catering, or preferred suppliers or are couples free to choose their own caterers?

We do have our own in house catering but couples are welcome to source their own caterers if they wish.

Can couples supply their own alcohol for the evening? Is there a corkage fee?

That’s not a problem. Corkage is €1 per bottle of beer, €10 per bottle of wine, €15 per bottle of prosecco and €20 per bottle of spirits.

Are couples completely free to choose their own wedding entertainment & do you have a specific sound system?

We do not permit the use of drums or brass instruments by a band or bass bins by a DJ

Do you offer accommodation on site? If so, for how many guests?

No

Do you have an in-house wedding co-ordinator?

Yes

How far in advance can couples or their wedding stylist, florist etc have access to the venue in order to decorate it?

Access is only guaranteed prior to the day of the wedding upon booking a set up time and date and subject to availability.

Do you have gardens or an outdoor area for wedding photographs?

No. We are a city centre venue so the city is your backdrop.

What’s your best advice to couples when choosing their perfect wedding venue?

The best advice I can give any couple is to not get over awed as there are literally hundreds if not thousands of ideas for your wedding. Sit down together and decide what you DONT want. This will really narrow down what it is that you DO want on your day.

Any finally, what are your favourite moments from previous wedding you’ve been involved with?

My favourite moment is one of the first weddings I planned. The guests had left for the wedding reception and the couple asked to stay a little longer to have some champagne with just the two of them.

It was such a special moment to see them want to have a little time just to themselves. They were so happy and in love. And it was very humbling to know that you had helped in some tiny way to give them the day that they wanted.